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Effects of brown and turbid water on piscivore-prey fish interactions along a visibility gradient

Ranåker, Lynn LU ; Jönsson, Mikael LU ; Nilsson, Anders LU orcid and Brönmark, Christer LU (2012) In Freshwater Biology 57(9). p.1761-1768
Abstract
1. Environmental changes such as eutrophication and increasing inputs of humic matter (brownification) may have strong effects on predatorprey interactions in lakes through a reduction in the visual conditions affecting foraging behaviour of visually oriented predators. 2. In this experiment, we studied the effects of visual range (25200 cm) in combination with optically deteriorating treatments (algae, clay or brown humic water) on predatorprey interactions between pike (Esox lucius) and roach (Rutilus rutilus). We measured effects on reaction distance and strike distance for pike and escape distance for roach, when pike individuals were exposed to free-swimming roach as well as to roach held in a glass cylinder. 3. We found that reaction... (More)
1. Environmental changes such as eutrophication and increasing inputs of humic matter (brownification) may have strong effects on predatorprey interactions in lakes through a reduction in the visual conditions affecting foraging behaviour of visually oriented predators. 2. In this experiment, we studied the effects of visual range (25200 cm) in combination with optically deteriorating treatments (algae, clay or brown humic water) on predatorprey interactions between pike (Esox lucius) and roach (Rutilus rutilus). We measured effects on reaction distance and strike distance for pike and escape distance for roach, when pike individuals were exposed to free-swimming roach as well as to roach held in a glass cylinder. 3. We found that reaction distance decreased with decreasing visual range caused by increasing levels of algae, clay or humic matter. The effect of reaction distance was stronger in turbid water (clay, algae) than in the brown water treatment. 4. Strike distance was neither affected by visual range nor by optical treatment, but we found shorter strike distances when pike attacked roach using visual cues only (roach held in a cylinder) compared to when pike could use multiple senses (free-swimming roach). Escape distance for roach was longer in turbid than in brown water treatments. 5. Changes in environmental drivers, such as eutrophication and brownification, affecting the optical climate should thus have consequences for the strength of predatorprey interactions through changes in piscivore foraging efficiency and prey escape behaviour. This in turn may affect lake ecosystems through higher-order interactions. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
behaviour, escape distance, foraging, reaction distance, visual range
in
Freshwater Biology
volume
57
issue
9
pages
1761 - 1768
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000306736200001
  • scopus:84864121595
ISSN
0046-5070
DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2427.2012.02836.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e43dc519-daa2-4b17-b2e8-bd368a06645a (old id 3070069)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:47:46
date last changed
2022-04-22 05:13:52
@article{e43dc519-daa2-4b17-b2e8-bd368a06645a,
  abstract     = {{1. Environmental changes such as eutrophication and increasing inputs of humic matter (brownification) may have strong effects on predatorprey interactions in lakes through a reduction in the visual conditions affecting foraging behaviour of visually oriented predators. 2. In this experiment, we studied the effects of visual range (25200 cm) in combination with optically deteriorating treatments (algae, clay or brown humic water) on predatorprey interactions between pike (Esox lucius) and roach (Rutilus rutilus). We measured effects on reaction distance and strike distance for pike and escape distance for roach, when pike individuals were exposed to free-swimming roach as well as to roach held in a glass cylinder. 3. We found that reaction distance decreased with decreasing visual range caused by increasing levels of algae, clay or humic matter. The effect of reaction distance was stronger in turbid water (clay, algae) than in the brown water treatment. 4. Strike distance was neither affected by visual range nor by optical treatment, but we found shorter strike distances when pike attacked roach using visual cues only (roach held in a cylinder) compared to when pike could use multiple senses (free-swimming roach). Escape distance for roach was longer in turbid than in brown water treatments. 5. Changes in environmental drivers, such as eutrophication and brownification, affecting the optical climate should thus have consequences for the strength of predatorprey interactions through changes in piscivore foraging efficiency and prey escape behaviour. This in turn may affect lake ecosystems through higher-order interactions.}},
  author       = {{Ranåker, Lynn and Jönsson, Mikael and Nilsson, Anders and Brönmark, Christer}},
  issn         = {{0046-5070}},
  keywords     = {{behaviour; escape distance; foraging; reaction distance; visual range}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{1761--1768}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Freshwater Biology}},
  title        = {{Effects of brown and turbid water on piscivore-prey fish interactions along a visibility gradient}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2012.02836.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1365-2427.2012.02836.x}},
  volume       = {{57}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}